oregon adventures

Sunday, March 06, 2011

Edison Festival of Lights 5K

President's Day weekend I flew to Florida to see my mom just outside Fort Myers. She lives on an island, Pine Island. Going I flew through Chicago and had window seats all the way. From Portland to Chicago I was over the wing and it was cloudy. From Chicago to Fort Myers, the windows didn't line up with the seats so I had a bulkhead and I was over the wing, so I couldn't see anything. The first day I ran from Mom's house out to the main road and down a sidewalk/bike path for 3 miles each way for 6 miles of 77 or so degree running in a short sleeve shirt. Went on mom's computer and looked up running paths in Fort Myers and saw they had a 5K Saturday evening with a big crowd to watch you. So after a beautiful 80 degree day on the island, we drove into Fort Myers and parked downtown at the start of the Edison Festival parade route. The 5K started at 5:30 or so and it was still very warm and 1400 people or so did the run with thousands lining the street waiting for the parade after the run. Took off pretty fast and just stayed fast. It was a flat run and I was wearing a Phillies running shirt, so I heard at least 4 people yell- "go Phillies". Crossed the finish line with an 8:21 pace, 25 minutes something I think. Good for 460 something place of 1400. Mom was waiting at the finish line and we were both hungry so we didn't stay for the light parade. Sunday we went to the Episcopal church on Pine Island. Then after lunch drove down to Naples and walked out on the pier. Great view and interesting crowd on the pier. Naples was a strange town to me. Pretty, but everything is behind locked gates with guard houses. Either they have the worst crime in America or they are the most stuck up people in America. Never seen anything like it. President's day we took a boat ride first to Cabbage Key to a restaurant with dollar bills on the ceiling. The girl said they had $70K on the ceiling. I added one more to it after signing it. Then another boat to Caya Costa state park island. Laid on the beach for a while in sunny blue sky 80 degree weather. Nobody was swimming or even in the water, but I decided to swim anyway. It was nice, not warm, but not cold. Swam out for a few minutes and then back in and repeated for about 20 minutes with a little floating in between. Probably about 600 meters in all. Then a tram back to the boat and the 2 hour ride back to Pine Island. On the boat ride back, I looked up in time to see two dolphins leap right beside the boat about 5 feet away from me. Tuesday before I flew home we stopped right before the bridge off Pine Island at a very crowded and loud breakfast place that had a fantastic crab omelet and whole wheat pancakes, grits, whole wheat toast and really good coffee. I was stuffed. Flying home I went from 80 plus degree Florida to 13 degree snow piled everywhere Minneapolis and then landed at 40 degree rainy Portland, ahh home wet home.

About

About Me

Discovered triathlons in 2003. After 4 years of Sprint and Olympic distances I joined the LaCamas Swim and Sport club's Headhunters triathlon team in Camas Washington and have completed 7 half-ironmans and 3 full ironmans- I am an Ironman! Trying to visit all 50 capitol buildings and run in all 50 states and climb all 50 highpoints.